Monday, May 24, 2010

OCRA Chamber Chat – May 20

*Disclaimer: The Chamber Chat is a courtesy service. Our goal is to be short and readable with pass-along information and reminders requested from members. This service is being provided in lieu of forwarding e-mails directly to you. Thank you for reading our chat!

The chamber chat is full of seasonal openings including trails and businesses, meetings. etc. For more details on events, please review the calendar at OurayColorado.com! There is a lot going on such as the Ouray Elks Annual Rummage Sale, May 28 – 31.

IN THIS ISSUE:

Welcome New OCRA Board of Director's member!

Paving update from the city!

Campground, Jeep AND Hiking trail updates.

Business Openings- Updated as of 05/20/2010

Jeep Ticket Sales have begun! Jeep Scholarship to be awarded at graduation!

Payroll: The Process in A Nutshell, GJ Business Incubator Center, 5/25/10

The Alpine Triangle Coalition to meet. Be informed!

Visitors Center USFS, Volunteers and Ouray Trail Group Training.

3/50 Project meeting- and the beat goes on- G.A.S- just ask!

Taste of Ouray will be hosted 06/02/2010

Last BAH for the summer- Wilderflower Botique & Khristopher's Culinaire

Ride the Rockies comes to town- June 15! Be prepared!

Links to members

OCRA BOARD OF DIRECTORS

For many current Calendar of Event items, please see OurayColorado.com

New BOD Member Info: Rob Megna of Backstreet Bagel resigned from the BOD in order to spend more time on the growth of his business Backstreet Bistro! Lezah Saunders with Ouray Mule and Carriage has welcomed the opportunity to fill Rob's shoes on the BOD and complete his term. Thank you Lezah!

Paving update from the city!

All,

I just met with the project managers from CDOT and United. They informed me that due to the weather delay on Tuesday, they are a day behind on the paving schedule. We discussed the options available to us and have decided that paving operations will continue this weekend on Saturday. Our biggest concern is to have all the project completed before Memorial Day weekend. In order to regain the lost day, and to ensure there is enough cure time in the asphalt so that the in-laid striping can occur, the work will need to take place on Saturday.

It will only be for Saturday and will only be the center lane of Main Street. All parking and driving lanes will be completed tomorrow, so there should be no parking issues or traffic delays. The only delays that may exist will be at the intersections, only impacting traffic turning out at the intersection, until the paving has passed through, and for trucks to enter or exit. The crews will do all they can to ensure any impacts are as minimal as possible.

I apologize for this change in plans and for the inconveniences that people have experienced over the past few weeks. However, I think everyone would agree that it was a needed project, and more importantly, it needed to be completed before the important holiday weekend.

If there are any further updates, I will pass them along.

Patrick

Patrick Rondinelli

City Administrator

Ouray, CO

5/20/10- Below info has been provided on behalf of the USFS, Ouray Trail Group, Switzerland of America and the Visitors Center Staff. Thank you for the updates!

Campgrounds:

4 J- OPEN

Ridgway State Park- OPEN year round.

Webbers: OPEN

Local USFS:

Beaver Lake and Amphitheater Campgrounds are open. Loop 1 of Silver Jack will be opening this weekend. Loops 2 and 3 are closed pending the removal of a large number of down trees. Big Cimarron Campground is closed until its toilet is replaced sometime in the next several weeks. Angel Creek and Thistledown Campgrounds are open with no services (or fees) until Memorial Day weekend.

Bear Creek Trail -Cleared of trees all the way to Grizzly Bear Mine. Past the mine there is at least one gravel wash out area – be careful there, can be dangerous. Difficult to get to the Yellow Jacket Mine at this point.

Baldy-Clear of trees and snow. There is snow about 200 yards before the baldy peak junction.and after the junction for 3 or 4 hundred yards until the meadow where it is clear to the top. the Baldy ridge trail is full of snow.

Chief Ouray Trail- Cleared to just past the cliff. North facing is still snow covered.

Ice Lake Trail –Snow in the tree areas, but the Lower Basin is doable. Trail is difficult at this time. The Upper Basin is NOT to be hiked yet – lots of snow there. For info, call Ron, Public Lands Office, Silverton, at 970-387-5530; his address in Silverton is 1246 Blair St.

Oak Creek Trail- Clear to the junction and 1/ 2mile towards twin peaks. Snow covered for the rest of the way.

Perimeter Trail- OPEN

JEEPING

OPEN

Yankee Boy Basin

Animas Forks and Cinnamon Pass is open now to Lake City.< C.R. 2 from Silverton>

CLOSED

Blue Lakes Trailhead (CR 7)

Brown Mountain

Corkscrew

Cow Creek

Engineer

Governor's Basin

Imogene Pass

Owl Creek

Red Mountain Town (WORK BEGINNING 5/10)

Spring Openings!

Restaurants:

Backstreet Bagel is OPEN

Billy Goat's, open by Memorial weekend. Closed on Monday.

Billy Goat's Biergarten- open by Memorial weekend. The Biergarten will be open 7 days a week. Thirsty Thursdays are definitely on! Menus changes AND Artisan Bakery pretzels!

The Box Canon Falls Park and Visitor Center OPEN The hours are as follows:

May 8 through May 28 - 9 am to 5 pm daily

May 29 through September 6 (Labor Day) – 8 am to 8 pm daily

September 7 through late October – 8 am to dusk

Ouray** County** Historical Society OPEN for the Summer Season —*

Ouray Mule and Carriage- OPEN

Peak to Peak Bicycles- OPEN Rentals and service!

San Juan Scenic Jeep Tours: OPEN

Switzerland of America: OPEN

Jeep Ticket Sales have begun!! May 7th!- Tricia- cell 970-318-8469

Tickets will be distributed by Patricia Sullivan starting May 7. Patricia will be responsible for all pick up and drop off of tickets and funds. If you did not sell tickets last year and would like to sell tickets, please contact the chamber and we will be happy to add you to our list of vendors. Please remember- Jeep ticket sales pay for 100% of the 4th of July and New Years fireworks, a $1000 student scholarship and a new jeep (yes, we have to buy it). Thank you all for your continued support!

May 25 – Payroll: The Process in a Nutshell, Grand Junction Business Incubator Center

Hiring your first employee can be an exciting, but confusing adventure if you've never done payroll before. This class is designed to help the average small business owner understand the basic process and forms, including how to avoid common pitfalls by paying payroll liabilities in a timely manner. 9am – 11:30am, $50GJ Business Incubator Center

2591 B 3/4 Road

Grand Junction, CO 81503

(970) 243-5242

May 26th- The Alpine Triangle Coalition

Be Informed. Engage in the discussion. Please join us for an informational meeting on the Alpine Triangle Campaign.

Come learn more about this grassroots led, citizen-driven effort to protect the long-term economic, recreational, historical and sporting values of one of our most important regional multi-use public land resources.

Sponsored by:

City of Ouray, Ouray Chamber Resort Association

Gunnison Gorge Anglers and Trout Unlimited

When: Wednesday, May 26th 2010 at 6:30PM

Where: Ouray Community Center

For information call: Tony Chelf at (970) 596-4697

or Ty Churchwell at (970) 903-3010 www.alpinetriangle.com

June 1- Visitors Center USFS, Volunteers and Ouray Trail Group Training- held at the Ouray Community Center 12:30- 3:30. Lunch will be served at noon for Visitors Center Volunteers. Please join the chamber for an informational session covering the following topics: OHV rules and regs, permits and misc. info, OTG trail updates, Search and Rescue Cards- what do they cover? Dispersed camping- where can you go? Ridgway State Park- accessible hiking, Visitors Center Resources and more! This meeting is open to all members of the community. Hosted by the Ouray Chamber and the Montrose USFS office

June 2, 2010- 9:30 am Ouray County Supports the 3/50 Project- MeetingRidgway Town Hall Open to all who support local services, shops and local living!What services and supplies can you get in Ouray County that is competitive in quality and price with out-of-town services and supplies? – Example- Farm Fresh eggs are priced better at Khristopher's Culinaire then City Market and Smart Wool Socks are equal in price at Ouray Mnt. Sports and High Country Leathers as it is at Murdock's! Know the dollar value to our schools, roads and other county services that depend on local tax dollars. Meetings are held every other week- next meeting will be May 19 at the Ouray Community Center. 325-4746 for details.

Wed. June 9- Business After Hours- Wildflower Boutique and Khristopher's Culinaire Join Dee and Khris for a special summer evening Business After Hours- lighting up Ouary's very own LoDo! 325-4089 for more information.